MV June Aster Ferry Catches Fire Off Coron, Palawan

A massive search, retrieval, and identification operation continues following a catastrophic fire that engulfed the passenger-cargo vessel MV June Aster on the evening of September 9, 2026. 

The 76 confirmed fatalities, 43 survivors, and 13 missing individuals stem from a total manifest of 134 registered persons (117 passengers and 17 crew members), though authorities confirmed two individuals listed did not board the ship.

While early Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reports initially cited a Batangas origin, official briefings by PCG Spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab later confirmed the vessel departed from Baseco Port in Manila bound for Coron. At approximately 6:45 PM on September 9, a sudden explosion erupted in the ship's cargo hold. The fire quickly consumed the 53-meter, steel-hulled ferry roughly 1.2 nautical miles northeast of Barangay Marcilla.

Local fishermen and emergency responders rescued survivors from the water, transferring them to the Barangay Turda Covered Court for emergency medical processing. Joint maritime authorities officially declared the vessel "fire out" at 10:15 AM on September 11, confirming that no oil sheen has been detected in the surrounding waters. 

Following the entry of teams into the charred hull, rescuers recovered an additional 41 bodies, bringing the total death toll from 35 to 76 confirmed dead. The remains have been turned over to the Coron Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) and the PNP Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) at the Port of Borac for painstaking DNA and forensic identification.

Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc. canceled several scheduled trips following the disaster, including the September 11 El Nido-to-Manila trip and the September 12 Coron-to-Manila direct route. The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) and specialized PCG units have launched a formal safety and criminal probe to investigate potential manifest discrepancies, cargo integrity, and whether the crew followed proper emergency protocols. The ship's captain, Roel Sarmiento, is confirmed alive but remains under active investigation.

Courtesy: PNP MG 2nd Special Operations Unit